1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a shock absorber system for use with a vehicle having a shield to reduce the effects of a shock event.
2. Description of the Related Art
Integrated damper/spring vehicle shock absorbers often include a damper body surrounded by a mechanical spring. The damper often consists of a piston and shaft telescopically mounted in a fluid filled cylinder. The mechanical spring may be a helically wound spring that surrounds the damper body. Various integrated shock absorber configurations are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,044,614, 5,803,443, 5,553,836 and 7,293,764, each of which is herein incorporated in its entirety by reference.
Some shock absorbers utilize gas as a spring medium in place of, or In addition to, mechanical springs. Gas spring type shock absorbers, having integral dampers, are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,135,434, 6,360,857 and 6,311,962, each of which is herein incorporated in its entirety by reference.
Many land vehicles, particularly those used within a military context, must travel through areas that may contain explosive ordnance, such as land mines, or other energetic devices designed to penetrate or shock such vehicles. It is desirable to protect the passengers within the vehicle from penetrators (both ballistic and fragmentary) and shock loads associated with near vehicle explosions or vehicle impacts. It is also desirable to preserve as many primary operational functions of the vehicle as possible to facilitate continued travel. The underside of the vehicle is particularly vulnerable to non-discriminating devices such as land mines.
Rigidly mounted vehicle “blast” shielding has been attempted in various forms. U.S. Pat. No. 7,114,764, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, shows elastomer coated aluminum plate disposed over an underside portion of a vehicle for blast protection. U.S. Pat. No. 4,404,889, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, shows a multilayer composite structure for use as a vehicle shield (e.g. armor). U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,307, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, shows a structure for shielding a portion of a vehicle undercarriage.
While some vehicle blast/shock attenuators (e.g. shields, armor) may be lighter than others, all add significant mass to the vehicle. The mechanism of blast attenuation is one of energy dissipation. Traditional blast shields relied on material density and its associated inertia to “absorb” blast energy. To reduce weight, more modern shields also rely on shock wave dissipation resulting from the crossing of material interfaces between materials having different sounds speeds. In either case, blast shields still comprise significant mass and may benefit from further lightening. What is needed is a shock absorber system that, in conjunction with a shield, can reduce the effects of a blast on the operation of vehicle and on the occupants of the vehicle. There is a further need for a shock absorber system that helps keep a vehicle operational even after a serious blast/shock has been received.